US2926806A - Closure caps - Google Patents

Description

March 1, 1960 A. STRENG ET AL 2,926,806

CLOSURE CAPS Filed Sept. 17, 1956 INVENTORS ALFRED STRENG a ALBRECHT JUTZI @MQ f n ATTORNEYS United States Patent CLOSURE CAPS Application September 17, 1956, Serial No.610,16'4

Claims priority, application Switzerland September 15, 1955 1 Claim. (Cl. 215-46) This invention relates to closure caps for bottles and like containers.

It is an object of the present invention to providea 7 novel and improved closure cap.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a closure cap which, in order to discourage pilfermg, indicates whether it has been removed from the bottle.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a closure cap which gives a satisfactory closure even though the anti-pilfering device has been detached.

According to the present invention there is provided a closure cap of resilient material having a sleeve-like stopper arranged to extend into and engage the orifice in the neck of the bottle and a skirt provided adjacent its open end with an inwardly projecting ridge arranged to snap under the rim or in a groove of the bottle neck, said ridge being delimited from the main portion of the skirt.

by a line of Weakness and being provided with a tab.

The line of weakness is preferably situated at the junction of the skirt and the inwardly projecting ridge.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing in which: i

Fig. l is a vertical cross section of the closure cap,

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the closure cap,

Fig. 3 is a side view of the closure cap.

The closure cap, which is of resilient material, has adjacent the open end of its skirt an inwardly projecting ridge 4 which is delimited from the main portion of the skirt by an encircling line of weakness or severing groove 5. The ridge 4 is provided with a tear-tab 8. A line of weakness in the form of a tear groove 6 extends from the edge 7 of the closure cap adjacent one side of tab 8 to the groove 5.

The closed end 1 of the closure cap is provided with a sleeve like stopper 2 which is arranged to extend into and engage the neck orifice. The sleeve 2 has its big gest external diameter approximately halfway along its length and from that point tapers slightly in both directions. The thickest part of the sleeve is provided with circular ribs 10 which assist in compensating for variations of the neck orifice.

The closure cap is originally applied to the bottle by pushing it over the bottle neck until, by virtue of the resilience of the cap, the ridge 4 snaps under the neck rim or into a groove of the neck. In that position, the sleeve 2 extends into and seals the neck orifice. Should there be an increase in the pressure of the bottle contents, the closure cap is prevented from being pushed upwards by the engagement of the ridge 4 with the rim or groove.

In order to take off the closure cap, the ridge 4 is removed by pulling on tab 8 so that the tear groove 6 tears up to the severing groove 5, whereupon, on furtherpulling of the tab 8, the ridge 4 severs along groove 5 from the main portion of the skirt of the cap.

The cap may then be completely removed from the bottle so that its contents can be poured out. Alternatively, the closed end 1 of the cap may be provided with two external hollow protrusions 11 and. 12 placed diametrically opposite each other. In that case, when the ridge 4 has been removed, the cap can be slid along the neck of the bottle until the sleeve 2 comes out of engagement with the neck orifice. If the two protrusions 11 and 12 have been pierced or cut off, the bottle contents can be poured through one of them, air being admitted into the bottle through the other.

The dimensions and strength of the cap are such that the cap cannot beremoved without severing the ridge 4 or at least damaging it.

This absence or damage of the ridge 4 indicates that the bottle has been opened and thereby discourages pilfering. Another advantage is that the ridge 4, after severing, does not remain on the bottle neck so that if the bottle is subsequently returned to the factory for filling, the ridge does not first have to be removed.

The bottle can be closed after use in a manner satisfactory for ordinary household purposes by sliding the cap back on to the neck until the sleeve .2 again extends into and seals the neck orifice. The skirt of the cap also provides external sealing of the bottle neck.

In order to facilitate sliding of the cap over the neck, the skirt is provided with grooves 9 on its interior which reduce friction between the skirt and the neck. The skirt is also provided with external reinforcing ribs 13.

The closure cap may be made of any suitable resilient material, for example polyethylene and is preferably made in one piece by injection moulding.

We claim:

A closure cap of resilient material comprising a stopper portion arranged to extend into and engage the orifice in the neck of a bottle, said stopper having its biggest external diameter at a point approximately halfway along its length and tapering from that point in both directions, circular external ribs extending from the thickest portion of the stopper, a skirt formed integrally with the stopper to extend around the neck of the bottle, said skirt having an external diameter which is smaller at its upper portion than at its lower portion, circular grooves formed on the internal surface of the skirt, longitudinal reinforcing ribs formed on the external surface of the skirt, an inwardly projecting ridge formed integrally with the skirt adjacent its open end and arranged to snap under the rim of the bottle neck, said ridge being delimited from the main portion of the skirt by a first line of weakness situated at the junction of the ridge and the skirt, a tab formed integrally with the ridge to be grasped for tearing along the line of weakness, and a second line of weakness extending from the edge of the skirt adjacent the tab to the first line of weakness.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,704,905 Spahn Mar. 12, 1929 2,717,728 Gray Sept. 13, 1955 2,772,802 Woydatt et al. Dec. 4, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 955,745 France July 4, 1949 1,028,390 France Feb. 26, 1953 r 1,073,737 France Mar. 24, 1954

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